How to Use Reported Speech and Indirect Speech in Latvian

Understanding Reported Speech in Latvian

Reported speech, also known as indirect speech, is used to convey what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. In Latvian, reported speech often involves changes in verb forms and pronouns to reflect the shift from direct to indirect narration.

Key Differences Between Direct and Reported Speech

In direct speech, the exact words of the speaker are quoted, usually within quotation marks. For example: Viņš teica: "Es eju uz veikalu." (He said: "I am going to the store.") In reported speech, the sentence is transformed to fit the context of the reporting speaker: Viņš teica, ka viņš iet uz veikalu. (He said that he is going to the store.)

Forming Reported Speech in Latvian

To form reported speech in Latvian, you typically use a reporting verb such as teikt (to say) or stāstīt (to tell), followed by a clause introduced by the conjunction ka (that). The verb in the reported clause is usually in the present or past tense, depending on the context.

Example of Reported Speech Transformation

Direct speech: Anna saka: "Es lasu grāmatu." (Anna says: "I am reading a book.")
Reported speech: Anna saka, ka viņa lasa grāmatu. (Anna says that she is reading a book.)

Changes in Pronouns and Verb Tenses

When converting direct speech to reported speech, pronouns often change to match the perspective of the reporter. Verb tenses may also shift, especially when the reporting verb is in the past tense.

For example, if the reporting verb is in the past tense, the verb in the reported clause usually shifts to the past tense as well:

Direct speech: Jānis teica: "Es strādāju šeit." (Jānis said: "I work here.")
Reported speech: Jānis teica, ka viņš strādāja šeit. (Jānis said that he worked here.)

Common Reporting Verbs in Latvian

Here are some common verbs used to introduce reported speech in Latvian:

• teikt (to say)
• stāstīt (to tell)
• pajautāt (to ask)
• paziņot (to announce)
• apgalvot (to claim)

Examples of Reported Questions

When reporting questions, Latvian uses the conjunction vai (whether) for yes/no questions, and question words like kas (who), kur (where), kad (when) for others.

Direct question: Viņa jautāja: "Vai tu nāksi?" (She asked: "Are you coming?")
Reported question: Viņa jautāja, vai tu nāksi. (She asked if you are coming.)

Direct question: Viņš jautāja: "Kur ir bibliotēka?" (He asked: "Where is the library?")
Reported question: Viņš jautāja, kur ir bibliotēka. (He asked where the library is.)

Practice Phrases for Reported Speech in Latvian